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Concerning the question
>>>Date:    Fri, 15 Aug 2008 10:56:02
>>>From:    Karen Reeds <[log in to unmask]   >Subject: green 
>>>drying solutions?
>>>  >Date: Thu, 14 Aug 2008 11:43:31
>>>  >From: "Watson, Bill" <[log in to unmask]>   >Subject: green drying solutions?
>>>  >...Have you ever noticed that electric hand dryers in public 
>>>restrooms usually include a label that says that the hand dryer is 
>>>"better for the environment" than paper towels? The justification 
>>>on the ones I use most frequently says that they "save trees from 
>>>being used for paper towels".

After a tad bit of thought, and some years of practice, I conclude 
that the only truly green ways to dry ones hands are:

a. a quick dab on one's blouse, shirt, skirt hem, pant legs, or even socks, or

b. air dry: as one swings one's arms during walking, hands will be 
dry in a couple minutes or less.  You can do some experiments to see 
how long this takes to dry your hands.

With either approach, a few preliminary vigorous shakes of the hands 
will fling the biggest droplets off and make drying go a lot faster.

The disadvantage to (b) is that you might get some relatively clean 
water on the door handle to the restroom before hands have had time 
to air dry. Quite irritating to the next person to touch said handle, 
unless timing of your exit allows you to follow someone out without 
touching the handle.   Method (a) is foolproof and relatively 
socially acceptable.

---Alan Gould
Director, Global Systems Science
   ...a high school interdisciplinary science course on key societal issues
http://lhs.berkeley.edu/gss
voice: 510-643-5082
University of California
Lawrence Hall of Science #5200
Centennial Drive @ Grizzly Peak Blvd
Berkeley, CA  94720-5200
e-mail: [log in to unmask]
My other projects: http://lhs.berkeley.edu/sii
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